Christmas Is All Around
by Winter Sapphire
Summary: A series of one-shots centered around the Ryelsi Fans' Elf Christmas challange. Ryan x Kelsi.
1. First Snow

**Author's Note**: Yeah, I finally found the time to start these! I'm going to try to do all of them before Christmas, and I hopefully will, but alas... who knows what will happen. Anyway, here's the first of the Ryelsi Fans Christmas challenges! I hope you guys like it. :)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own High School Musical or its character. I don't even own Christmas, though I most certainly have the Christmas spirit!

**----**

**We're Gonna Go Ice Skating and Eat Sugarplums!**

Ryan woke up to the insistent banging on the door of his apartment. With a groan he rolled over in his bed, blinking drearily through the open archway that led to his room and to the front door. He glanced quickly at the clock through the dark--5:38 AM. Who the _hell_ was knocking on his door at 5:40 in the morning on a _Saturday_?

With a groan Ryan propped himself up onto his feet, pulling on a pair of sweatpants on over his boxers before moving slowly towards the door. Whoever it was didn't seem to be wanting to let up anytime soon so he half-heartedly unlocked the door and opened it. Kelsi Nielsen blinked back at him in surprise for a moment before offering him a wide smile.

"Well, it's about time! I've been knocking for, like, ten minutes." She paused as she appraised Ryan in nothing but a pair of sweatpants, her smile widening. "Nice look, by the way."

"Thanks," Ryan muttered as he rubbed his eye lightly and stepped aside for Kelsi to come inside and the composer quickly went inside and headed towards the kitchen. Ryan didn't hesitate to close the door behind them and he quickly went to his room to find a shirt before he joined her. She had already gotten a pot out and had begun filling it with water. He blinked in confusion.

"Uh, Kels..." he started slowly, "not that I mind you stopping by, but... it's not even six in the morning. Isn't it a little early to be making..." he glanced at the packets on the counter, "cocoa?"

Kelsi shot him a bemused glance over her shoulder as set the water on the stove. "You haven't looked outside yet, have you?"

"Hey, I was kind of sleeping," Ryan whined slightly in his defense, but even as he did he still strode quickly to the window and pulled the blinds back to look outside. He couldn't say he was surprised to see the blanket of white that covered the streets and sidewalks below--he _had_ kind of been expecting it from Kelsi's words--but an excited smile still spread over his face. "It _snowed_!"

Kelsi nodded emphatically, "I know! And I was thinking, it's our first snowfall in New York--_ever_, really, for me--right?" At Ryan's nod she continued, "And it's a Saturday, and we have all day--I looked up the times for the skating rink at Rockefeller Center, and I figured if we started soon we could walk and get there when it first opens! It would be practically empty!"

Ryan smiled softly at her as he let the blinds close again. "You really want to do this."

Kelsi reached over to turn the stove off as the water started shimmering with heat. "I've had this silly fantasy in my head since I was a kid, you know? Of going ice-skating with someone I really care about and, I don't know, eating sugarplums while walking around a snow-covered park hand-in-hand."

"You hate plums," Ryan pointed out jokingly as he approached her again, settling his hands at her waist as he pulled her in for a light kiss. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled down at her as he murmured, "Let me go get ready."

Kelsi smiled warmly at him and quickly upwards to kiss him again, embracing him tightly as she breathed in his scent. "Love you, Ry."

"Love you too." Ryan kissed the top of her head lightly before he pulled away, adjusting her hat so it was angled slightly to the left before heading off to his room. "I won't be long."

"Better not be," Kelsi countered as she poured the water into two thermoses, adding the hot chocolate mix with a small smile on her face, and she knew that today was going to be even more the perfect first snow day than she had ever imagined.


	2. Christmas Cookies

**The Christmas Spirit is About Believing, Not Seeing**

Ryan Evans watched in amusement as his wife moved around the kitchen excitedly, her apron powdered with flour as she took out another tray of cookies from the oven and put the next one in.

"Geez," Ryan commented with a smile on his face, "that's probably the tenth batch you've made today, Kels. What's the occasion, are we expecting a lot of company?"

Kelsi sighed lightly in contentment as she took off her oven mitts and set them on the counter. She lightly wiped her forehead with the back of her hand before shrugging. "Not really. I mean, I'm sure our friends would love some when they visit, but..." she trailed off before finishing lamely, "I just really felt like baking."

Ryan snatched a cooled cookie from an earlier batch, biting into it gently. He chewed it with a pondering expression, and when he swallowed he nodded his consent. "They're amazing." He reached an arm around Kelsi and pulled her towards him, embracing her lightly as he kissed her cheek.

Kelsi smiled lightly against her husband's chest as she mumbled slowly, "... And I thought I might set some cookies out Christmas Eve. You know, for Santa."

Ryan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Honey, we don't have any reason to set out cookies." Kelsi shifted against him slightly in order to glance at him in confusion.

"Didn't you and Sharpay set out cookies for him when you were little?"

"Well, yeah," Ryan conceded, blinking lightly, "but the key word there is _little_. We stopped once our parents told us--" he cut himself off, his eyes widening dramatically as they flashed down to look at her. "Don't tell me your parents never told you--"

"Oh, Ryan." Kelsi rolled her eyes at him as she moved her way out of his embrace as the final timer went off. "Of course they did! But we still set them out every year."

Ryan's forehead creased in confusion. "Why?"

"Because the Christmas spirit is about believing, Ryan, not seeing," Kelsi told him as she stuck her hand in an oven mitt and took out the last tray. She placed it carefully beside the others with a proud sigh, smacking her hands together in accomplishment, "There, all done. Besides," she smiled at him, "Santa's the personification of the Christmas spirit, and even spirits need their fill of Christmas cookies."

"Especially big, fat, jolly ones," Ryan added with a grin, but it slowly disappeared from his face. "Why haven't we set out cookies the other two years we were married?"

Kelsi paused momentarily before continuing, "Ryan, what else do people believe in even when they don't see it in front of them?"

Ryan picked up another cookie, biting into it as he thought. After a few moments he shook his head, sending his wife a confused look as he spoke with a slightly full mouth, "You got me."

Kelsi shook her head in amusement as she washed down the counter. "Don't speak with your mouth full, dear, you'll set a bad example for the baby."

Ryan coughed in surprise, the rest of the cookie promptly falling from his hand.

---

Why, yes, I am that much of a dork. :3 I realize this chapter was entirely cliché but they're _Christmas_ stories for Pete's sake, and it kinda calls for it. XD In any case, I hope you guys liked it none-the-less!

Reviews=love. :3

-WS


	3. My Friend Ryan

**What's A Christmas-Gram? I Want One!**

"Guys? Guys, can you please calm down for a second?"

The excited, bubbling class of second graders settled distractedly in their seats, glancing around the room one last time before their eyes finally went back to their teacher. Mrs. Farnham sighed lightly as she offered them a smile, and the class willingly grinned toothy grins back at her.

"All right, guys, I know you're all excited for Christmas, right?" The resounding shout of glee in the room was more than enough for an answer and Mrs. Farnham laughed softly, continuing once they quieted down, "Well, I thought since this is the last day before Christmas break we could make Christmas-Grams."

The class burst into excitement again, a flurry of hands flying up in the air.

"What's a Christmas-Gram, Mrs. Farnham?" Lucy Gropp asked instantly.

"Can I make more than one?" Cody Knisley piped in.

"Christmas-Grams are like homemade Christmas cards, Lucy. You make them for your friends and family. And yes, Cody," she smiled over at the boy, "you can make as many as you want. Now, there's paper and markers over on the table by the door." Mrs. Farnham motioned towards it, her smile growing. "Have fun!"

Kelsi Nielsen blinked in subtle surprise as the desks and chairs around her screeched with the sound of her classmates clambering towards the table. She shifted slightly in her seat, sinking even further down in her seat as she pulled her father's oversized hat down over her eyes. It wasn't until the other students had all returned to their seats (or more accurately sat with their friends) that she stood up, making her way to the crafts table and looking through all the paper and marker colours. She bit her lip gently, her hand hesitantly reaching towards the marker box when a new voice piped in from behind her.

"Can you get me a red?"

Kelsi jumped, twirling around with a purple marker clenched firmly in her grasp to stare at the one of the two newest kids in the school, a small blonde boy that was currently smiling brightly at her from under his hat. "Uhm, I, uh... huh?"

"A red marker?" He pointed to the box. "Please? I need it for my Gram." Kelsi nodded hastily, quickly reaching towards the box and picking one up. She held it out for him with a blush and he flashed another smile at her as he took it. "Thanks!"

"Welcome," Kelsi murmured, quickly turning her back to him as she picked out the rest of her colours. She headed back to her seat, plopping down and instantly starting to work on the Gram for her dad. She was only vaguely aware of someone moving to sit next to her when she heard the shuffling of their paper.

"I like your hat," the same boy told her and she glanced up at him with a perplexed look. He was still wearing the same smile and he reached up to tilt his hat slightly to the left. "Who are you making your Gram for?"

"My Dad," Kelsi told him quietly as she turned her face back to the paper, scribbling at it furiously. "He likes Prancer, so I'm drawing him a reindeer."

"I like Prancer too, he sounds like he likes to dance and dancing is fun." The boy nodded as if affirming it to himself before adding, "Do you like to dance?"

"I dunno," Kelsi murmured, her face tinting red again. "I never have."

"It's fun," he repeated. "You should try it." He glanced over at her, down at his Gram, and back. "Say, what's your name?"

"Um--" Kelsi glanced up at him in surprise before looking down at her card. "Dad says I shouldn't give my name to strangers."

"Well, that's okay." He stuck out his hand to her. "I'm not a stranger, I'm Ryan!"

Kelsi couldn't stop the smile that quirked at her mouth as she shook his hand. "I'm Kelsi." Ryan beamed at her, releasing her hand in favor of a marker.

"That's a pretty name," he told her as he scribbled something down quickly on his card. He gave it a quick glance over before nodding to himself and folding it, handing it to her. "Merry Christmas, Kelsi!"

Kelsi took it in her hands, glancing wonderingly at the quickly drawn Christmas tree on the front. "For me?"

"She said you could give it to your friends so I wanted to give it to you," Ryan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before standing up. "I have to go back to my sister now, but I hope you like it!" He jogged to the front of the classroom in an instant, sitting next to a girl whom Kelsi guessed was his sister and her eyes instantly flicked back to the card in her hands. She opened it eagerly, a wide smile spreading across her face.

_To Kelsy, _

_my first freind here! _

_Thanks for geting me the red! _

_Mery Christmas!_

_From Ryan_

Kelsi had to admit that "my friend Ryan" had a nice ring to it.

* * *

I'm not sure why I wrote this when they were younger, but for some reason I did. I wasn't exactly sure at what age Ryan and Sharpay moved to Albuquerque, but I figured it was at a fairly young age so I'm just going with part of the way into second grade.

I always pictured Ryan to be the type of kid that thought up of good conversation topics and just being, overall, friendly and Kelsi, despite her shyness, always pegged me as the type who would respond at least fairly easily to that type of personality even as a child.

So yeah, I hope you guys liked this! I really need to start cranking these out if I plan on finishing before Christmas, lol. I don't even know if that's possible if I do one a day. I don't think it is. Before New Years, then. :)

Reviews=love!

-WS


	4. Santa's Come To Town

_This is my first actual fic in this series of them in high school, wow. This one takes place sometime after HSM2 and before HSM3, and obviously around Christmas time... so yeah. It's also going to be a two-parter because, well, you'll see when you get to the end. :) I think it kind of calls for it._

_Also, I want to say that I was originally going to have Kelsi as Santa's helper for this one, and then Darkchilde's fic came up and I was like, "Uh oh, gonna have to rethink this one!" And that's what happened. :D_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! And as always, reviews=love._

_(Also, I'll be lucky if I can concentrate long enough to finish these by New Years, lol.)_

_-WS_

**So, You're The Real Santa?**

Rob Nielsen sighed dramatically as his youngest daughter pulled him frantically towards the line for Santa, though he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face.

"Daddy, Daddy, Santa!" May shrieked in excitement, grinning a toothy four-year-old grin up at her father. Rob laughed, shaking his head in amusement.

"Sweetheart, you've seen Santa three times already," he told her gently, "and we have to get Christmas presents, remember?"

"But Santa brings the presents," May protested, "and I wanna see him 'gain! Pleaaase, Daddy?"

Rob sighed in defeat, his gaze turning pleading as he looked over to where his other daughter was standing, absentmindedly fidgeting with the brim of her hat. "Kels?" Kelsi blinked back into the world. Her eyes met her father's and she immediately began to groan.

"Oh, Dad..."

"Last time, Kelsi, I promise! I want to get your grandfather's wristwatch while it's still in stock for the holidays." He flashed her a smile as he led May's hand to hers. "_Berri Good_ frozen yogurt on me."

Kelsi gave him a smile that seemed to say _you owe me for this_ as she took her sister's hand in her own, leading her to the end of the line as she watched as her father disappear into the crowd. The four-year-old bounced in excitement, clinging to Kelsi's leg as the line moved slowly (_painstakingly slowly_, Kelsi added in her mind) forward.

Fifteen minutes later the boy who had been in front of them was hopping off of Santa's lap, giving the man one last hug before walking with his mother out of the area. Santa glanced over at them, his eyes settling on May before glancing upwards at Kelsi. His face instantly brightened more than it already had been and he began to raise his hand in a wave as if he knew her before he paused, his eyes flicking to May again as he remembered who he was, and instead beckoned them towards him. May giggled, dragging a befuddled Kelsi along as she bounded forward.

"Ho, ho, ho!" Santa laughed his signature laugh as May climbed into his lap in excitement, beaming up at him as he beamed right back down at her. "It's good to see you, Miss Nielsen!" Kelsi blinked in surprise.

"You know my name!" May's grin widened. "You always ask me my name, but not this time!" Santa chuckled as he shifted her weight slightly on his lap.

"Of course I know your name, I'm Santa. I just like to make sure sometimes." His eyes twinkled down at her, and Kelsi frowned lightly as she tried to figure out just _why_ this Santa seemed so familiar. "Now tell me," he tapped her on the nose with his finger, "what do _you_ want for Christmas?"

May glanced up at her sister momentarily before she turned her beaming face back towards him. "I wanna hat."

Santa's eyebrows shot up in pleasant surprise as he grinned a lopsided grin. "I think I can do that. You mean like Kelsi's hats?" Kelsi blinked in surprise again--that seemed to be happening a _lot_ today.

"You know Kelsi!?" May sounded nearly as surprised as Kelsi felt, and Santa smiled down at her.

"She used to sit on my lap all the time--I even gave her _her_ first hat."

"How would you know that!?" Kelsi blurted out without thinking before realizing her mistake and she stammered slightly in an attempt to cover, "I-I mean, of course you'd know that. You're Santa."

He winked at her, and Kelsi grew frustrated with herself once again for not knowing just _where_ she'd seen that before. Her brow furrowed at him slightly as she glanced off into the crowd and she instantly spotted her dad waiting at the exit. "Dad's back, May." Her sister glanced up at her with a small pout before turning back towards Santa, engulfing his waist in a firm hug.

"Thank you, Santa Claus," she murmured as the man gently squeezed her back before setting her back on the floor. May glanced up at her sister and Kelsi motioned towards her dad.

"Just go to Dad, all right? I need to talk to Santa." May nodded and as soon as she was out of earshot Kelsi turned back towards the man playing Santa, crossing her arms over her chest. "So you're the real Santa, huh?" Santa raised his eyebrows with a grin.

"Ho ho ho."

Kelsi let out an exasperated sigh as she gave him the most pleading looks she could muster. "Oh, come on! It's killing me." She gave him a pointed glance as she added, "I _know_ I know you." Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Right?"

"I don't know." Santa shrugged as he sat up straighter, leaning forward until his face was only about a foot from her own. His eyes twinkled mischievously at her, and for the first time Kelsi was able to clearly see the familiar shade of blue that belonged with them from underneath the bushy white eyebrows glued to his face. "Do you?"

Kelsi gaped at him for a second, blinking rapidly before she hissed out in a whisper, "_Ryan_!?"

Ryan chuckled at her incredulity before responding cryptically, "I get off in about 30 minutes for the day." Kelsi just continued staring at him in confusion for a few seconds before a smile crossed over her face.

"My Dad's taking me to _Berri Good_ as a thank you," she offered off-handedly and Ryan gave her a subtle nod as he motioned for the next kid to come to him. Kelsi took that as her cue and gave him one last smile before moving away and heading towards her father.

And even though she knew it was just going to be a simple meeting between two friends she couldn't stp[ the butterflies that fluttered their way into her gut at the idea.


End file.
